Intel Core i3-1305U vs Intel Core i7-6700 Comparison

The Intel Core i3-1305U and Intel Core i7-6700 represent two very different eras of Intel design. The i3-1305U is a modern, power-efficient mobile processor built on a 10 nm process, while the i7-6700 is a legacy desktop part from the Skylake generation on a 14 nm node. Despite the i7’s higher core count and older flagship status, the benchmark data shows the i3-1305U winning 13 of 17 direct comparisons, with the i7-6700 taking only 4. The results are close in multi-threaded rendering, but the i3-1305U dominates in single-thread and encryption tasks, while the i7-6700 shows surprising strengths in data compression and extended instruction workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-6700 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i3-1305U has 5 cores and 6 threads. The i7-6700 has more threads, but the i3-1305U has one additional physical core.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i3-1305U has an average benchmark score of 11200, while the i7-6700 scores 11074. Both processors sit at the 66th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall performance.

Q: Which CPU has the higher boost clock?

A: The i3-1305U has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, compared to the i7-6700’s 4.00 GHz. The i3-1305U also has a much lower base clock at 1600 MHz versus 3.40 GHz.

Q: What are the power and platform differences?

A: The i3-1305U is a mobile chip with a 15 W TDP on Intel BGA 1744, while the i7-6700 is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP on Intel Socket 1151. The i3-1305U uses DDR4/DDR5 memory, whereas the i7-6700 supports DDR3/DDR4.

Q: In which benchmark does the i7-6700 have its largest win?

A: The i7-6700’s biggest victory is in PassMark extended instructions, where it scores 7505 versus 5240, a 30.2% advantage. It also wins data compression by 18.4% and random string sorting by 24.4%.

Q: What is the i3-1305U’s biggest margin of victory?

A: The i3-1305U’s largest win is in PassMark data encryption, scoring 5895 against 2753, a massive 114.1% lead. It also beats the i7-6700 by 36.8% in single-thread performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The i3-1305U uses the Raptor Lake architecture (codename Raptor Lake-U), built on Intel’s 10 nm process. The i7-6700 uses the older Skylake architecture on a 14 nm node. The manufacturing process difference is critical: the i3-1305U’s smaller node allows for higher efficiency and clock speeds despite a dramatically lower TDP.

Core layouts differ significantly. The i3-1305U has 5 cores and 6 threads, which suggests a hybrid arrangement common in modern mobile parts, while the i7-6700 has 4 cores and 8 threads with Hyper-Threading. The i3-1305U’s cache hierarchy is also different: it has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 10 MB of shared L3. The i7-6700 has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with 8 MB of shared L3. The i3-1305U’s larger per-core L2 cache is a notable advantage for workloads that fit in it.

Memory support is another divider. The i3-1305U supports DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, while the i7-6700 supports DDR3 and DDR4. The i7-6700 lists a memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s, but the i3-1305U’s bandwidth is not specified. PCIe support also differs: the i3-1305U has Gen 4 with 8 lanes, while the i7-6700 has Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The i3-1305U includes UHD Graphics 64EU, whereas the i7-6700 has HD Graphics 530. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both are multiplier-locked.

Production status separates them further. The i3-1305U is active and was released in January 2023, while the i7-6700 is end-of-life and launched in mid-2015. The i7-6700 is a desktop segment part; the i3-1305U is mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The i3-1305U is the clear winner for single-threaded performance and modern workload efficiency. In PassMark single-thread, it scores 3115 versus 2277, a 36.8% lead. That advantage carries into Cinebench single-core tests, where it wins R15 (102 vs 96), R20 (425 vs 404), and R23 (1014 vs 964) by roughly 5-6%. The i3-1305U also dominates in encryption, with a 114.1% lead in PassMark data encryption, and in prime number finding (33.3% lead). For floating-point math, the i3-1305U is 24.3% ahead, and integer math shows an 8.9% lead. Multithreaded PassMark scores favor the i3-1305U by 8.6%.

The i7-6700 wins in specific, often legacy, workloads. Its biggest win is extended instructions (30.2% ahead), which suggests better support for certain SIMD or specialized instruction sets. It also wins data compression by 18.4% and random string sorting by 24.4%. In physics calculations, the i7-6700 edges out the i3-1305U by 6.3%. These wins are concentrated in memory-heavy or instruction-specific tasks where the older architecture’s higher base clock and larger thread count help.

For general productivity, the i3-1305U is the better choice due to its single-thread and encryption performance. For archival or compression-heavy workloads, the i7-6700 has a surprising edge. The i3-1305U’s wins are broader and more impactful for modern applications.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-1305U | Intel Core i7-6700 |

|----------------|---------------------|--------------------|

| Cores | 5 | 4 |

| Threads | 6 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 1600 MHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.50 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1744 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Raptor Lake | Skylake |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 10 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR3, DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 34.1 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 8 Lanes | Gen 3, 16 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 64EU | HD Graphics 530 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-01-03 | 2015-06-30 |

| Launch MSRP | $309 | $303 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent, if modest, advantage for the i3-1305U. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-1305U scores 723 against 688, a 5.1% lead. Single-core in R15 is similar: 102 versus 96, a 6.3% edge. Moving to R20, the i3-1305U maintains a 5.2% lead in both multicore (3016 vs 2867) and single-core (425 vs 404). In R23, the i3-1305U again wins by 5.2% in both tests, scoring 7183 versus 6828 in multicore and 1014 versus 964 in single-core. These results tell a clear story: the i3-1305U is faster per clock and per watt, but not by a huge margin in rendering workloads.

The PassMark suite reveals where the chips diverge dramatically. The i3-1305U’s single-thread score of 3115 crushes the i7-6700’s 2277, a 36.8% advantage. That is the second-largest delta in the entire comparison. Data encryption is the outlier: the i3-1305U scores 5895 versus 2753, a 114.1% blowout. Prime number finding also favors the i3-1305U (36 vs 27, 33.3% lead). Floating-point math shows a 24.3% lead for the i3-1305U (19687 vs 15840). Integer math is closer (27925 vs 25651, 8.9% lead), as is multithread (8747 vs 8051, 8.6% lead).

The i7-6700’s wins are concentrated in three areas. Extended instructions show the largest reverse delta: 7505 versus 5240, a 30.2% margin. Random string sorting goes to the i7-6700 by 24.4% (14406 vs 10889). Data compression is also a clear i7-6700 win, 113748 versus 92767, an 18.4% lead. The physics test is the only close i7-6700 victory, at 558 versus 523, a 6.3% margin. Notably, the i3-1305U wins 13 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, while the i7-6700 takes 4.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i3-1305U as the superior processor for the vast majority of workloads. It wins all six Cinebench tests, taking a 5.1-6.3% lead across both single and multi-core rendering. Its 36.8% single-thread advantage in PassMark is decisive for everyday responsiveness, and the 114.1% encryption lead makes it the obvious pick for security-related tasks. The i3-1305U also wins PassMark multithread by 8.6%, despite having fewer threads than the i7-6700. Its 15 W TDP versus 65 W TDP means it delivers this performance at a fraction of the power draw, making it the only sensible choice for mobile systems.

The i7-6700 is not without merit. Its wins in extended instructions, data compression, and random string sorting indicate that it handles specific, likely older or memory-latency-sensitive workloads better. For a desktop user running legacy software that relies on those instruction sets, the i7-6700 could still be relevant. However, it is end-of-life, uses a larger process node, and loses the majority of head-to-head tests. The i3-1305U is active, newer, and offers better overall performance with modern platform support. Anyone building a new system should choose the i3-1305U; the i7-6700 is only preferable for niche tasks where its specific wins matter more than everything else.